Business Growth Without Sacrifice: How Carrie Drier Scaled Her STR Business While Staying True to Herself

What does it really take to build a thriving Airbnb or short-term rental business—without burning out or sacrificing what matters most?

In this game-changing episode of The STR Sisterhood Podcast, I sit down with Carrie Drier, a Northern Michigan entrepreneur who has successfully scaled her short-term rental portfolio while staying true to her peace, her personal life, and her core values.

Carrie pulls back the curtain on her real, unfiltered journey of growing a profitable Airbnb and vacation rental business with purpose and intention—proving that success doesn’t have to come at the cost of your well-being.

Inside this episode, we dive into:

Carrie’s early days as a real estate investor and Airbnb host

How embracing uncertainty led to both purpose and profit

The mindset shifts that helped her overcome fear and take bold action

The systems and strategies she uses to scale her short-term rental business—without losing the personal touch that sets her apart

The hard lessons she learned about managing expectations (especially her own!)

If you’ve ever dreamed of growing your Airbnb or vacation rental business your way—aligned with your values and vision for life—this episode is your permission slip to make it happen.

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY POINTS:

[01:11] A short introduction about our guest Carrie Drier and what inspired her to dive into short term rentals

[03:27] Carrie reflects on her initial thoughts when her husband suggested they move to Traverse City and become real estate investors

[08:45] Carrie discusses how she taps into her gut feelings to stay true to herself, prioritizing balance, family, and personal happiness

[12:04] Carrie shares how her journey of self-discovery taught her it's okay to pivot, embrace discomfort, and stay true to her desires, creating an authentic life despite others' perceptions of failure

[18:35] What are Carrie's game-changing systems for scaling her portfolio while maintaining a personal touch

[24:11] Carrie shares how creating distance from her work helped her to break free from the limiting belief around pricing

[31:03] Carrie shares her experience navigating the challenges of building a team while balancing her naturally high expectations with her desire to avoid conflict

[35:55] The emotional and logistical consequences of keeping a team member who isn’t the right fit

[41:00] The importance of paying yourself, creating separation between personal finances and the business

[44:53] The lightning round

Golden Nuggets:

“This is your life, and you need to be living it the way that you want to live it.”

“Try, I believe should be removed from everyone's vocabulary, because I feel like it is a dangerous word, because it gives us an excuse for not actually stepping into the person or the human we want to be.”

“For me, it has been a learning curve on hiring people, and I think by letting go of the people that I know aren't going to work has been really helpful for me to find the people that do work.”

“Whether you have one property, 100 properties, or anything in between, we are operating businesses. And when we make that mindset shift that we have to be the leader of a business, things tend to actually get executed very differently.”

“Find the gratitude, find the joy. There's a silver lining in everything. Sometimes it's harder to see that silver lining, especially in the midst of the struggle, but it's often revealed to us only when we're looking for it.

This episode is brought to you by StayFi — the easiest way to grow your direct bookings!

http://stayfi.com/STRSisterhood
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Let’s Connect!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roostnorthrentals

https://www.instagram.com/carrie.drier/

Website: https://www.roostnorth.com/

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